2nd Annual Trial Methodology Symposium 2016

Please see below for our overview video, photos and session recordings, which provide a wealth of information.

Date: 24th October, 2016

Venue: Kingsley Hotel, Cork

Theme: N\A

Registration: Now Closed

Guest Speakers

Dr David Moher – Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr. David Moher is a senior scientist, clinical epidemiology program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, where he directs the centre for journalology (publication science) (http://www.ohri.ca/journalology/). Dr. Moher is also an Associate Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, where he holds a University Research Chair. Dr. Moher holds an MSc in epidemiology and PhD in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. Dr. Moher has been involved in developing the science of how to optimally conduct and report systematic reviews for most of his professional career. Another part of his research has focused on how best to develop reporting guidelines. He spearheaded the development of the CONSORT statement and the PRISMA statement. He has been actively involved in the development of many other reporting guidelines and is part of the EQUATOR Network. Dr. Moher leads an active program investigating predatory journals and publishers. More recently Dr. Moher led a program to develop core competencies for scientific journal editors. He is actively developing a program to investigate alternatives to current incentives and rewards in academic medicine. Dr. Moher has been recognized several times as a Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (Web of Science). Watch video here.

Alistair is the Chair of Critical Care Medicine in University College Dublin (UCD), the Chair of the Irish Critical Care Clinical Trials Group (ICC-CTG) and the Director of the Irish Critical Care- Clinical Research Core (ICC-CRC) methodology centre in Dublin, Ireland. Alistair is a Fellow (Honorary visiting) in Tropical Medicine at Oxford University, where he works with the International Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium. He has a particularly long commute as he also works in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Research Centre in Melbourne. Alistair works clinically in St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin and is an honorary Intensivist in the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Apart from having four jobs Alistair also has 4 kids under 6 years of age. He obviously therefore has no hobbies, no sporting interests but he lives in hope of this improving. Watch video here.

Prof. Eamon O’Shea – National Centre for Economic and Social Research on Dementia

Eamon O’Shea is a Personal Professor in the School of Business & Economics and was inaugural Director of the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology (ICSG) at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He holds an M.A. from University College Dublin, an M.Sc. from the University of York and a Ph.D from the University of Leicester. He has published over 80 scientific papers in refereed journals, including publications in top-ranked journals such as the Journal of Health Economics, Social Science and Medicine, Age and Ageing, Ageing and Society, Health Policy and the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Professor O’Shea has authored/co-authored 15 books and monographs, mainly in the field of ageing, dementia and social policy. His work has been influential in setting the agenda for the reform of services and policies for people with dementia in Ireland. He was Chair of the National Economic and Social Forum Expert Group on Care of the Elderly in 2005/06 and co-authored the influential Creating Excellence in Dementia Care report in 2012. He is currently a member of the Implementation Group for the Irish National Dementia Strategy. Watch video here.

Oonagh Ward – Programme Manager, Health Research Board (HRB)

Oonagh Ward is Programme Manager for clinical Infrastructure, Networks and Interventions at the Health Research Board (HRB). Oonagh’s role involves award management and monitoring in conjunction with evaluation methodologies to provide strategic oversight of HRB’s investment in major funding initiatives. Since joining the HRB in 2007 she has designed and managed a variety of funding initiatives and joint-funding ventures and has represented the HRB at both national and international level. With over 15 years’ experience across a range of industries, Oonagh holds a MSc in Microbiology from Queens University Belfast and a BSc from University College Dublin.

Prof. Shaun Treweek – University of Aberdeen

Shaun is a professor and joined the Unit in 2013 via a meandering path to health services research. He trained as a physicist and then did a bioengineering PhD involving lasers, blood and bits of skin. Then came health informatics, amputee rehabilitation and a move to Oslo, followed by eight years at the University of Dundee, three of which as Assistant Director of the Tayside Clinical Trials Unit. Shaun is active in the field of efficient trial design, particularly pragmatic trial design, improved recruitment and retention interventions for trials, the design of complex interventions and the effective presentation of research evidence. He is leading an initiative called Trial Forge (https://www.trialforge.org) that aims to be more systematic about how we generate and use research evidence in making trial design, conduct, analysis and reporting decisions. He is, or has been, involved in a range of trials, including an EC FP7 trial of treatments for a rare neuromuscular condition, a trial of a lifestyle intervention for women after pregnancy, a lifestyle change trial run through football clubs and the Scottish Premier League, a trial of nerve stimulation to improve continence among residents in care homes, a lifestyle change trial run through the Scottish breast screening program and a lung cancer screening trial. Finally, he coordinated DECIDE, a 5-year, EC-funded project that aimed to improve the way guideline information is communicated to health professionals, patients and the public, policymakers and others. Watch video here.

Declan is the Director of Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Director of Cochrane Ireland. He holds the Chair in Midwifery and is Deputy Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway. He is also Scientific Director of the HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network, and Principal Investigator with the INFANT – Irish Centre for Fetal and Neonatal Translational Research.

Declan trained as a nurse and a midwife, meandered (with the help of opportunity, interest and luck) his way into trial methodology and evidence synthesis and his work now focus on a blend across midwifery (and broader maternity care), randomised trials and how they are done and synthesising evidence.

Declan clinical areas of interest lie in maternity care with a particular focus on interest in the implementation and evaluation of models of maternity care and on methods of fetal monitoring. Declan’s methodological areas of expertise are randomised trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses and much of his career has focussed on building capacity in this area. He has published over 150 papers (h-index 33 Scopus, Jan 2019) including numerous Cochrane systematic reviews. He has led a number of clinical trials recruiting from 100 to over 3000 participants and serves on a number of Trial Steering Committees including those in pregnancy (e.g., EMERGE, HOLDS, PARROT) and Data Monitoring Boards (e.g., CORD, KEEP-WELL). He is an editor with the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group and has authored dozens of systematic reviews. Declan was invited by the Minister for Health to join the National Maternity Strategy Steering Group and to serve a second term as a member of the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee at the Department of Health. He is a member of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Expert Network of Research Advisors; a former member of the Midwifery Committee of An Bord Altranais (National Nursing and Midwifery regulatory board for Ireland), a member of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre (NPEC) National Advisory Group and a member of the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee. He holds or has held awards from the Health Research Board (Ireland), Department of Health and Children (Ireland), National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (Ireland), Royal College of Midwives (UK), the Health Services Executive (Ireland) and the EU. Declan has been awarded over €7 million in research funding as PI or co-PI and more than €8.0 million as co-applicant. Watch video here.